Need some chain help 101

I haven't had a chain driven bike since I was a kid with dirt bikes. And to be honest, short of hitting them with WD40, I didn't take care of them.
Well today, I decided to check the tension on the chain. After I tightened it to specs, I rotated it all the way around. At one point the chain does not seat properly into the rear sprocket, which causes it to be too tight. It is not a bad spot on the sprocket, but 2 or 3 links in the chain. I cleaned and lubed everything, but no change. Bad chain???

Team Gixxer Racing; IDMBT #1

I just went through this learning curve with a friends 1200 Bandit. The chain would be tight or loose depending on the rotation of the tire. Kinked links were the culprit. He bought a new chain/sprockets and I bought a chain riviting tool kit from Pashnit's website and the bike is good as new.

I do need to do something before I ride it again. On every rotation of the chain it makes a swooshing sound like a fat guy wearing corduroys. I was all stocked to do it myself until you guys threw in the whole thing about riviting it. Is that difficult or an expensive tool?

Track Coach / TufPoodle Coach

You don't by chance have a Renthal sprocket on that puppy do you? I went through four Renthal Sprockets once and everyone of them created the same problem. Wasn't the chain, it was the sprocket. I changed four Renthal sprockets (All brand new) before I installed a vortex sprocket and the problem was solved.

So there is a chance the chain is fine and it's your sprocket.

Easy way to tell is rotate your tire 360 degrees and check for a tight spot someplace in the rotation. Mark the sprocket at 3:00 and continue to rotate the wheel. If the tight spot comes up every time the mark passed the 3:00 position, it's the sprocket, not the chain that's the culprit!

Trouble Makers Inc.

You don't by chance have a Renthal sprocket on that puppy do you? I went through four Renthal Sprockets once and everyone of them created the same problem. Wasn't the chain, it was the sprocket. I changed four Renthal sprockets (All brand new) before I installed a vortex sprocket and the problem was solved.

So there is a chance the chain is fine and it's your sprocket.

Easy way to tell is rotate your tire 360 degrees and check for a tight spot someplace in the rotation. Mark the sprocket at 3:00 and continue to rotate the wheel. If the tight spot comes up every time the mark passed the 3:00 position, it's the sprocket, not the chain that's the culprit!